Mashing and converting process.



No. 776.999. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904. U. H. CASPAR.

MASHING AND CONVERTING PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1902,

N0 MODEL.

No, 7?6,999, Patented December 6, 1904.

NITEp STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HAYES CASPAR, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN I. FITZGERALD, OF SURANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

MASHING AND CONVERTING PROCESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,999, dated December 6, 1904.

Application filed fieptemher 23, 1902. Serial No. 124,568- (No model.)

T 11/71/07" WZ/ 007L067! condenser, a return-pipe 17 completing the Be it known that 1, CHARLES H Arms CASPAR, circulation between the condenser and the tun. a citizen of the United States, residing at New- 18 is the wort-pipe, leading from the outletark, in the county of Essex and State of New pipe let to a secondary filter 19, if the use of 5 Jersey, have invented certain new and useful the latter be desired, through which the wort Improvements in Mashing and Converting is transmitted to the brewing-kettle. (Not Processes; and I do hereby declare the folshown.) lowing to be a full, clear, and exact deserip- 20, 21, and 22 are valves controlling the tion of the invention, such as will enable othpassage through pipes I I, 18, and 17 respec- IO ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to tively. \Vhile the converting process is in make and use the same. progress valves 20 and 22 are open to admit This invention relates to mashing and conto the condenser and return them to the verting processes, and contemplates as its tun, valve 21 being in the meantime closed. primary object effecting the complete con- After the conversion has been completed 1 5 version (embracing the mashing, boiling. and valves 20 and 22 are closed and valve 21 opened filtering) in one operation; and a further object to allow the wort to pass down through pipe 18. 5 is to obtain a llltXlIllLllTl amount of wort by the In practicing my invention in connection action of a relative amount of malt; and a with brewing I employ the well-known infurther object is to condense the vapors arisgredient malt, with rice, corn, grits, or other 20 ing from the boiling mash and return them to raw grain in the proportions best adapted to the tun. produce the desired end. These are pulver- The invention will be hereinafter fully set ized or ground together and introduced forth, and particularly pointed out in the through inlet 8 and the desired amount of claims. mixingwater introduced through pipe 9.

25 In the accompanying drawing I have illus- When a sufficient amount of ingredients has trated mechanism by which my invention as been introduced, steam is admitted to the applied to brewing may be carried out, the steam-jacket through inlet 6 and the agitator figure beinga view in vertical section and side set in motion. All openings to the atmoselevation. phere are then closed and pump 15 set in op- 0 1 designates the mash-tun, having a steameration to exhaust the air from the tun and jacket 2 and agitator 3, which may be concreate asuitable degree of vacuum. While I structed and operated in any preferred manam aware that a complete vacuum is practiner. The tun-casing is made of metal and so cally not obtainable. yet it is essential that constructed as to render it air-tight. At its the air be exhausted until the desired vacu- 3 5 lower end is an inlet I, througl'i which water um is had. It is well known to those skilled or other liquid is forced by a pump 4:. in the art that the diastase of the malt will 5 Above this inlet is a perforated bottom 5. convert the starch of the grain only between 6 is the steam-inlet, and 7 the outlet for the certain temperatures, and while various temmashthat is, the grain remaining after the peratures have been assigned as that at which 40 extraction and conversion are completed. the best effect is produced yet the same is At the top of the casing is the inlet 8 for universally acknowledged to be much less the malt and raw material and pipe 9, through than 212 Fahrenheit-aim boiling-point of which mixing-water maybe admitted. Alilwater. I have found the best action occurs ter 10 extends across the interior of the casing between 148 and 152 Fahrenheit. As it is 45 and is supported in the wall thereof. Il2and essential to the successful carrying out of my 13 are a thermometer and vacuum-gage, reprocess that the mash be boiled and yet the spectively. From the top of the casing an temperature found conducive to the best reoutlet-pipe 14: leads to a condenser 16, and a sults not exceeded, I employ the vacuum, and pump 15 is connected to the pipe 14-. near the am thereby enabled to obtain the effect of boiling at a temperature below the boilingpoint--2l2 Fahrenheit. The temperature at which this action'occurs may be varied according to the degree of vacuum maintained in the tun. In the boiling process vapors of steam and gases from the alcohol or other spirits in the mash are emitted, which if allowed to remain in the tun would destroy the Vacuum and affect the wort, while their creation consumes a certain amount of the moisture necessary to the conversion, as there should be for this purpose approximately five parts of water to one part of material. To obviate this, valves 20 and 22 are opened and valve 21 closed. The vapors rise from the mash and pass through pipes 17 and l t to the condenser 16, where they are converted into liquid and returned to the tun through pipe 17. The steam condenses readily, but the gases may not, and if it is desired to draw them from the condenser the pump 15 may be operated for this purpose. Thus the condensation enables the vacuum to be maintained, and the return of liquid keeps the mash supplied with the necessary amount of water. The condenser operates on the surface principle, and its office may be perform ed by cold water sprayed on the outside thereof. When a sufficient action of the diastase upon the starch of the raw grain has been effected through the saturation and boiling in the presence of a vacuum, the pump I is operated to inject more water into the tun, filling the latter and forcing the fluid or wort upward through filter 10. The wort passes through pipe let into pipe 18, by which latter it is conducted to the brewing apparatus. For this purpose valve 20 is closed. In this way the removal of the wort-water, its necessary dilution, and filtration are efiected by one medium.

From what has been said it will be noted that I have produced an extremely-simple process by which thorough conversion and saccharification may be effected; that by the employment of a vacuum boiling is effected vat the temperature at which the best action of the diastase is obtained; that the mashing, boiling, and filtering are accomplished in one operation; that the introduction of the water upwardly in the manner described forces the wort through the filter and out of the tun and also dilutes the wort; that these steps are accomplished by one medium, and that by drawing off the vapors and condensing the steam arising from the mash I am enabled to maintain a vacuum and the necessary amount of liquid. It will further be noted that there are no preliminary treatments of the malt and grain beyond the step of their being pulverized and thoroughly commingled before being introduced into the tun. The starch of the grain becomes receptive to the action of the diastase of the malt when it is gelatinized, and this gelatinizing and utilization of the diastase at a temperature to perform the action stated can only be effected in a vacuum which will enable the mash to be boiled and yet not exceed a temperature of 148 to 152 Fahrenheit, since the temperature at which boiling would be attained without the vacuum would result in a condition of the diastase of no value in its action upon the starch. Furthermore, the vacuum must according to my process be created after the introduction of the materials and must be maintained constantly within certain limits.

Practice has demonstrated that by my invention the amount of malt required for a given quantity of convertible substance is about one-third of that heretofore found necessary.

While I have described my process as applied to brewing, yet it is obvious that it may be employed for any purpose where the end sought is the separation of fluid extract from solid substances.

I claim as my invention 1. The herein-described mashing and converting process consisting in mixing malt with raw grain, mashing the mixturein a body of water, exhausting the air from the mash to create a vacuum, boiling the ingredients in the vacuum, and condensing the vapors arising during the boiling and returning them to the mash, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described mashing and converting process consisting in mixing malt with raw grain, pulverizing the mixture, mashing the mixture in a body of water, creating a vacuum in the mash, boiling the mash in the vacuum, condensing the vapors arising from the boiling and returning them to the mash, and forcing liquid upwardly into the mash to effect the filtration of the wort.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HAYES CASPAR.

\Vitnesses: 1

WILLIAM J. FITZGERALD, JAMES F. BELL. 

